Cavaliers Cricket Club, Colchester, Essex, England

6 June 2010

Vinter curses the weather...

Heavy rain put an abrupt end to any hopes of three successive victories for the 2nd's in Div 4 as their home fixture against Eight Ash Green was abandoned.

As Vinter & Smith took the decision to void the fixture with 19 overs of the match remaining the home side required 6 an over with 7 wickets in hand. With the home skipper unbeaten on 54 and looking increasingly capable of scoring the requisite runs single handed the match was evenly poised and thus the decision to abandon was not taken lightly by either man.
Though the call-off was widely acknowledged as the right decision those few in disagreement were soon made to look foolish as the heavens opened once more ... so much so that a number of club members were seen to abandon their posts and flee to higher ground at the expense of paying their match subs...

EAG having been asked to bat first did so in aggressive fashion with the in-form Marsden hitting some early boundaries at the expense of openers Deji & Steve B.
The breakthrough came as Marsden guilty of one aggressive shot too many mistimed an in swinger from Deji (8-0-44-2) to midwicket duly snaffled by Kevin B.
The departure of his opening partner seemed to send Smith into overdrive (perhaps modelling himself on fellow left hander Tamim Iqbal) as he began to play a shot a ball. Steve B's luck finally turned as Bailey having played and missed on numerous occasions finally top edged in the vicinity of a fielder, Luke taking the skier at first slip.
With both openers dismissed with the score 53-2 off 10 the visitors batting line up struggled for the next dozen overs scoring just 30 runs for the loss of a further 4 wickets.
At 83-6 and with a low total in prospect the home side were perhaps guilty of over confidence and allowed the middle order to settle. C Markham-Lee (83) proceeded to swing the game back in the favour of the visitors as he compiled an excellent half century ably supported by the lower order and in so doing ensured the visitors posted a very competitive 193-9 off their allotted 45 overs.

No bowler for the home side was able to truly stem the steady flow of runs however Jim K (9-2-21-2) and Tony M (10-2-32-1) can both be pleased with their days work, Steve B was the pick of the seam attack falling just one wicket short of the much coveted baggy green Pfeiffer (10-2-43-4).

(Special mention too for Alex C whose three dropped catches must I presume be a record of some sort ?)